Blue Jays to retire Halladay’s No. 32
The Toronto Blue Jays will honour Roy ( Doc) Halladay by retiring his uniform No. 32 on March 29 as part of its opening day ceremonies when the club hosts the New York Yankees at the Rogers Centre.
Halladay will join Hall of Fame inductee Roberto Alomar as the only players in franchise history to have their uniform numbers retired.
“Through Roy’s values, pride, work ethic and perseverance, he epitomized what it means to be a Blue Jay,” Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro said. “And while his legacy is clear, it goes far beyond the number on his back or his onfield accomplishments, serving as a shining example of how to live a meaningful life and positively impact others.”
In addition to retiring Halladay’s number, the Jays will celebrate his life and career during the pre-game ceremony. The team will wear a No. 32 commemorative patch on their uniforms for the entire 2018 season, including spring training.
Halladay died at the age of 40 in a plane crash on Nov. 7, 2017.
In 12 seasons with the Blue Jays, the Denver native posted a record of 148-76 in 313 games with 49 complete games.
He is the franchise leader in winning percentage (. 661), strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched (6.60) and walks per 9.0 innings pitched ( 2.00). He also ranks second in franchise history in wins and third in innings pitched, complete games and ERA (3.43).
In 2003, he won the American League Cy Young Award while setting the franchise record with an AL-best 22 wins and led the league in games started ( 36), complete games ( nine), shutouts ( two). He made four all- star game appearances as a Jay.
Meanwhile, the Jays added 37-year-old Craig Breslow on Monday, signing the left- hander to a minor- league contract with an invitation to spring training. Breslow posted a 5.09 ERA in 37 appearances last season for the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians.